Purpose: Microgravity leads to a decline of muscle power especially in the postural muscles of the lower limb. Muscle atrophy primarily contributes to this negative adaptation. Nutritional countermeasures during unloading were shown to possibly mitigate the loss of muscle mass and strength. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of different diet energy intakes during prolonged inactivity on body composition and lower limbs power output.
Methods: The effects of lower or higher diet energy intake on the decline of maximal explosive power of the lower limbs, as determined on a sledge ergometer before and after 35 days of bed rest, were investigated on two matched groups of young healthy volunteers. Body composition and lean volume of the lower limb were also measured.
Results: After bed rest, fat mass increased (+20.5 %) in the higher energy intake group (N = 9), while it decreased (−4.8 %) in the lower energy intake group (N = 10). Also, the loss of body fat-free mass and lean volume of the lower limb was significantly greater in the higher (−4.6 and −10.8 %, respectively) as compared to the lower (−2.4 and −3.7 %, respectively) diet energy intake group. However, the loss of maximal explosive power was similar between the two groups (−25.2 and −29.5 % in the higher and lower energy intake group, respectively; P = 0.440).
Conclusions: The mitigation of loss of muscle mass by means of a moderate caloric diet restriction during prolonged inactivity was not sufficient for reducing the loss of maximal explosive power of the lower limbs.
